Mainly in Business Applications, "Software Engineering" has become the amateur skill of "Programming". Software Engineers have become Software Developers, with no formal training in the art. I was told by a manager once to stop referring to the staff of the Software Engineering Department as Engineers, because they didn't employ any. With no formal Test Department or Quality Control Department, quality is usually governed by the Client, as it is the Client that is paying. Thank God we're not doing Brain Surgery!

Quite often the quality standard is "Something that works"; not even "Something that works WELL". As companies downsize and cut corners, quality can be thrown out with the bath water. Although the methodology of SSADM4 and Prince2 may no longer be cost effective, the other extreme of having no quality at all is very expensive.

Microsoft has been of little help on the subject. It missed it's opportunity with the excellent Book/File Building Applications. But then again, I suppose that the Ford Motor Corporation doesn't write books on good driving.

Once you have a good relevant quality system, it is easy to keep to it. It is worth documenting. Let the customer know that you work to a formatted quality system; you may take the work from lesser developers that don't.